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New York Lead Rental Registry: what landlords need (2026)

Short answer: If you own a building with 2 or more units built before 1980 in one of the 25 listed cities (certain ZIP codes only), you had to register it in Lead Safe NY by May 1, 2026, and each unit needs a Lead Safety Certificate at least every 3 years. Your county sets the date of your first certificate; the state has told counties not to take formal enforcement before 2029. New York City is not part of it, and Rochester owners go through the City’s Certificate of Occupancy instead.
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Status: phasing in

Who it covers

Buildings with two or more units built before 1980 that can be rented, in 25 designated 'communities of concern' (in practice, specific ZIP codes inside those cities). NYC is excluded by law. Every unit must be registered, including ones the owner lives in.

How long it lasts

Lead Safety Certificate: up to 3 years. Registration stays on file; update it within 30 days of any change, and a new owner registers within 30 days of buying.

What it costs

No state registration fee. Inspections are free where the county does them (Onondaga County says so); private EPA-certified risk assessors set their own prices.

If you don’t comply

Failing to file a certification, or filing a false one, carries civil penalties under Public Health Law §12: up to $2,000 per violation, rising to $5,000 for a repeat within 12 months that seriously threatens health. Health departments can also placard units (no renting), file liens and go to court. Inspectors who file bad certifications can be barred from the registry. State guidance issued in June 2026 tells health departments not to take formal enforcement over a missing inspection until an owner fails to get a certificate within the first three-year compliance period; Erie County says that means no fines until 2029.

What you need and when

What you needWhenCost
Register property in Lead Safe NY
Existing owners had to register (or confirm the state's pre-filled record) by May 1, 2026. New owners must register within 30 days of buying. Contact changes must be reported within 30 days. Registrations do not transfer to a new owner. Monroe County owners do this through the City of Rochester instead.		first deadline was May 1, 2026No state registration fee found in the statute or regulations
Lead Safety Certificate (inspection + dust wipes)
Visual check of each unit, common areas and bare soil, plus dust wipes, at least every 3 years. Certificates are due to the registry by October 1 of the year they are due; the county sets each property's schedule. A unit found with hazards cannot be re-rented after it goes vacant until it is certified. Wait for the county's instructions before hiring a private inspector.		every 3 years; your county sets the date of the first one; the state doesn’t expect formal enforcement before 2029Free when the county health department or code officer inspects; private EPA lead risk assessor fees vary (no official figure)
Tell tenants the unit is in the registry
Give tenants written notice that their unit is in the registry, its status, and lead-safety education (NYSDOH fact sheet). If an inspection finds hazards, give affected tenants a copy of the results within 24 hours.		before each new tenant moves in-
Owner-occupied unit attestation (DOH-5842)
Only if you or immediate family live in a unit as your primary home. Signed under penalty of perjury with supporting documents, at least every 3 years, or the exemption lapses.		every 3 years-

Not covered

Certificate types

How to get inspected

The county health department, a local code enforcement officer, or a private EPA-certified Lead Risk Assessor (owners and managers can do it themselves if they hold that certification). Private inspectors must be independent of whoever does the repair work. Dust samples go to a NYSDOH-approved lab.

Typical cost: Free when done by the county (Onondaga County); no official figure for private risk assessors (source). More in what a lead inspection costs.

Fees

What to give tenants

The federal lead disclosure rule applies on top of this for nearly every rental built before 1978. What it requires.

Where to register or file

Lead Safe NY: Online portal with a NY.gov ID. Monroe County (Rochester) owners do not use it; the City of Rochester's C of O and Building Owner Registry filings are sent to the state for them.

Evictions and rent

No rule ties eviction filings to the certificate. Retaliation is banned: owners may not raise rent, fine or refuse to renew a tenant during remediation because they reported a lead hazard (10 NYCRR 67-5.8(h)). From October 1, 2026, local code officers in the 25 communities must check the registry for a Lead Safety Certificate during fire-safety and property-maintenance inspections of pre-1980 multiple dwellings, and a certificate is a condition of the local certificate of occupancy or compliance (Executive Law §381; 19 NYCRR 1203).

Where sources disagree: First certificate deadline. NYS Department of State (May 2026 notice) says certificates were due to the registry by Oct 1, 2026 (dos.ny.gov). Onondaga County told syracuse.com that landlords must comply by Dec 31, 2028. Investigative Post (Sept 2026) quotes June 2026 state guidance barring formal enforcement until owners miss the three-year compliance period, with enforcement starting in 2029. The regulations say certificates are due by the date the department sets, at least every 3 years. Conclusion: registration was due May 1, 2026; the first certificate date is set by each county, and enforcement in most counties will not start before 2029. Rochester is the exception: it requires an active C of O by Oct 1, 2026. Scope: NYSDOH pages list only city names, but HCR's community list, Chemung County and Onondaga County define coverage by ZIP code (e.g. only 5 Syracuse ZIPs). Sunset: PHL §1377 is set to expire Nov 3, 2028 under L.2023 c.57 Part T §4. No extension was found, but the regulations and agency pages carry on past that date.

The 25 places the registry covers

The state registry applies only in these places. first_due = first Lead Safety Certificate date where an official source gives one; null means the county sets it (registration was due 2026-05-01 everywhere). ZIP codes come from the HCR communities-of-concern list (Nov 2024); confirm with the county. NYC is excluded by PHL §1377(1) (cities of 1 million+). Rochester is NOT excluded; Monroe County delegated enforcement to the City, whose C of O doubles as the Lead Safety Certificate..

Keep every certificate on time

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Questions landlords ask

Does the New York lead rental registry apply to my building?

Only if the building has 2 or more units, was built before 1980, and sits in one of the 25 communities of concern (in practice certain ZIP codes in those cities). Single-family rentals and all of NYC are not covered.

When is the NY Lead Safety Certificate due?

Registration was due May 1, 2026. Certificates are due by October 1 of the year your county schedules you, then at least every 3 years. Onondaga County says owners must comply by December 31, 2028, and the state has told counties not to take formal enforcement before 2029.

Who can do the lead inspection for the NY rental registry?

Your county health department, a local code officer, or a private EPA-certified Lead Risk Assessor. You can do it yourself only if you hold that certification. Check with your county before hiring someone, because many counties are doing the inspections themselves.

I live in one unit of my two-family house. Do I have to comply?

You must register the whole building. Your own unit is exempt from inspection if you file an owner-occupied attestation (Form DOH-5842) at least every 3 years. The other unit still needs inspection and a certificate.

Is Rochester or New York City part of the state registry?

NYC is excluded by law because it has over a million people; it follows Local Law 1 instead. Rochester is included, but the City runs it: its Certificate of Occupancy now doubles as the Lead Safety Certificate, so Monroe County owners do not use Lead Safe NY.

What happens if I don't get a Lead Safety Certificate?

Health departments can fine you under Public Health Law §12 (up to $2,000 per violation), placard units so they can't be rented, file liens or take you to court. Formal enforcement for missed inspections is not expected before 2029 under current state guidance.

Last checked November 6, 2026. Law: Public Health Law §1377 (L.2023, c.57, Part T); 10 NYCRR Subpart 67-5. Agency: NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH), run through county health departments; City of Rochester handles Monroe County.

This page sums up published rules as of November 6, 2026. It is not legal advice, and myleadsafe is not a government site. Rules and fees change, and local offices add their own steps, so confirm with your town or city and the state agency before you rely on a date or a fee.

Sources (19)